Derbyshire County Council teamed up with an expert car seat fitter to offer free checks at supermarkets across the country last month.

A total of 300 seats were checked and 221 failed. Drivers with badly-fitted seats were shown how to make them safe.

Partnership chairman Mike Ashworth said: “It’s vital that motorists who travel with youngsters understand the importance of choosing the right seat and fitting it correctly.

“You can get advice about fitting child car seats by visiting www.childcarseats.org.uk – a website that was set up by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents with funding from the Department of Transport.”